Question: Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie are divorcing. Who do you think will get the custody of their 4 kids? I don’t know enough about the family’s circumstances to know. Assuming both parents are personally “fit” to exercise…

Almost, but not yet. Until recently, it wasn’t just a cultural norm, but a legal principle that presumed during a child’s “tender” years (generally regarded as the age of four and under), the mother should have custody of the child…

In Utah, almost certainly not. I cannot think of a scenario in which a parent (mother or father) has sole physical custody of the children and would have to pay any child support to the noncustodial parent. In that scenario…

No matter what you’re told, marijuana use is STILL ILLEGAL in this state. Illegal use of street drugs, including but not limited to marijuana, can and surely will be used against you in a child custody dispute. And you can’t…

One of the biggest worries (perhaps the biggest) for a parent going through divorce is the question of child custody. A common misperception is that “child custody” means simply who your children will live with after you and your ex-spouse…

Can Utah modify the child custody order of a different state? Under certain circumstances, yes. Below is a summary of the laws that govern whether Utah can exercise jurisdiction to modify the child support order of another state. This posting…

In Utah, where I practice family law, there are no laws governing an unmarried father’s obligations to a child born out of wedlock. So regardless of whether the father has a new girlfriend, there is nothing to force the father…

How do you feel that a mother can take a child from their father without any legal repercussion just because she chose to string along an engagement and never get married? I think your question is actually this one: Can…

How does child custody work if one parent needs or wants to move out of the current state? Is it better to let the court know up front of the possibility, or wait until custody is decided? This is one…

My husband placed a protection order on me and my son’s name is on it, we are in the divorce process, is it possible that I can still get custody or visitation? I will answer this question by making some…

Some couples actually realize that while their marriage is a failure, that does not mean that they are bad people. They can care enough about each other to divorce amicably. I’ve seen it happen about 10% of the time. It…

Do you think fathers should have the right to 50/50 split custody from birth, even if mom is breastfeeding and the separation will likely affect her ability to do so long term? No, but “the best parent” is both parents.…

Parent-Time During the Holiday Season 2018 The holiday season is upon us, and many divorced and single parents need to prepare and plan for your holiday season parent-time this time of year. Understanding how parent-time functions during the holidays will…

If a divorce and custody case were finalized in one state and the custodial parent and the children move to another, which state should the future custody disputes need to be filed in? Here is how that question would be…

ERIC, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 20+ YEARS. WE HAVE 4 CHILDREN TOGETHER 3 OF WHOM ARE STILL MINOR CHILDREN. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT BE WILLING TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS FOR ME (IN ALL…

“What legal rights?” You ask “What legal rights do I have if my abusive husband makes a false claim against my mental health to get emergency custody of our children?” I don’t think the question as you worded it is…